INDUSTRIAL ARBITRATION COURTS (Abolition)

Wednesday, 9th April, 1969

The following Question for Oral Answer stood on the Order Paper of 9th April, 1969 :-

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Labour whether he proposes to abolish one or both Industrial Arbitration Courts."

Pursuant to Standing Order No. 20 (2) , the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Labour supplied the following answer: -

1. "The Honourable Member is aware that the Industrial Arbitration Court is set up under the Industrial Relations Ordinance (No. 20 of 1960). Section 3 (1) of the Industrial Relations Ordinance provides that there shall be one or more Industrial Arbitration Courts to be presided over by a President or Deputy President to be appointed by the President of Singapore in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister. If we are going to do away with the Industrial Arbitration Court, we will also have to do away with the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1960, and this the Government does not intend to do.

The Honourable Member is aware that at present there are two Industrial Arbitration Courts and whether there should be one or two such Courts, or even three, is dependent on the number of cases that have to be dealt with. Provision, however, is made in the 1969 Estimates for two Industrial Arbitration Courts."